Exercise-induced compartment syndrome: case report.

Exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis is a frequent event occurring after severe forms of exercise. This is usually a short-lived, uncomplicated phenomenon that is seldom of any clinical significance. The rare progression of this muscle injury to compartment syndrome is, however, a limb- and life-threatening condition that typically presents in the anterior compartment of the lower leg. A case is reported of a young man who participated in physical activity well beyond his normal level of exertion and subsequently developed bilateral lower extremity compartment syndrome requiring surgical decompression. To our knowledge, this is the only description of this complication occurring in a multicompartment, bilateral distribution. The combination of the rarity and morbidity of this condition, as well as the multitude of very common benign injuries that present in the same manner as the problem discussed, make this insult especially dangerous.